Daily tours are also undertaken by Mercat, and more information on this can be found by clicking the link below.

In the 16th Century, the Cowgate area was a very fashionable place just outside the city gates.  Today it is a forlorn underpass as the South Bridge, built in the 1780s, towers over it.  At the time the bridge was built, the land under it was excavated for several floors of rooms and underground chambers, virtually forgotten until recently.  The vaults contained families of 7-10 people in rooms the size of a small bedroom with no ventilation or windows and a fireplace that provided some form of heat.  The vaults were lighted with fish oil lamps, which combined with stale waste from garbage and chamber pots which were emptied into the streets after the 10pm curfew each night, must had made the area barely habitable.  Apparently merchants flocked to be there.  Shops contained the businesses of cobblers and watchmakers and acted as storage for wine and other products, which were guarded by underground caretakers.

The Vaults themselves, while starting as an old day industrial estate, changed their functions throughout its long dark history. Floods, and disease ended the lives of many souls beneath the streets of Edinburgh, and while it was once a thriving underground city, the darker elements of life moved in. The vaults became a haven for the criminal underworld, and the important trades moved out, making room for taverns, gambling and brothels.

There are no real records of the inhabitants that occupied this area, but through many accounts from both the public and mediums, a list of confirmed lodgers has been created. There seems to be one presence which may have been in charge or owned the vaults and thus owned the people that lived and worked there.

This presence is most felt within the vaults, and  ultimately responsible for the majority of the feelings, and events that occur within these vaults, although the cobbler, and the spirit of a friendly ghost still make themselves known amongst others.

Of all the locations in the United Kingdom, this is the ultimate location for paranormal research. Having visited this location four times, i am amazed that on each visit something new presents itself to us. The atmosphere is very foreboding, dark and moody, and nerves of steel will be required to survive this location.

If you are a Paranormal group looking to book this location, i can offer one piece of advice, ask if Rob is available to host the vigil. His knowledge of the vaults, the inhabitants, and his natural humour can make an OK night into a brilliant night.

To book the vaults, or learn more about this location and other areas Mercat operate in then please visit the link below.